Portable air conditioning apparatus



Aug. 24, 1937. w FABRY 2,091,198

PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed May 11, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1FIG-Z- 4, 1937. w. H. FABRY 2,091,198

PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed May 11, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2l JNVENTOR. W H. FA BRY ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

This invention relates, to portable air conditioning apparatus.

- The general object of the invention is to provide an improvedairconditioning apparatus wherein means is provided for conditioning theair in a residence or store building and wherein the current of air isblown over moistened fabric strips.

A further object of the invention is to provide an air conditioningapparatus including, fabric strips supported in a novel manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cabinet for anair conditioning apparatus.

an air conditioning apparatus including fabric strips and means tosupply water to the fabric strips, together with a receptacle to receivethe water from the strips and pump means to return the water to thestrips.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air conditioningapparatus wherein air is blown over moistened fabric strips and whereinmeans is operated by the current of air for causing the water drainedfrom the strips to be returned to the strips. c

Other objects andthe advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a portable air conditioning apparatus embodyingthe features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the operation of the pump;

Fig; 6 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the fabric strips and theirsupporting members;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, sectional view showing the end wire members;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the fabric supportingmembers; and.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation showing a modification of my invention.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters I have shown myinvention as embodied in an air conditioning apparatus which isindicated generally at H]. As shown the apparatus includes end membersnected by a continuous integral bottom member l3. The bottom member isprovided with rolled metal strips M which serve as feet while the endsare provided with rolled metal strips it which Another object of theinvention is to provide G2 which are shown as conserve as handles. Theend members l2 are provided at each side with inturned flanges l6 whichextend throughout the length thereof. At the lower ends these flanges l6are engaged by front and back members I1 and 18, respectively.

These front and back members are also secured from thebottom to providea receptacle I!) which is adapted to serve as a water reservoir. Attheir upper ends the ends l2 are connected by transverse members 20which are secured to the ends and have horizontal portions 2| thereon.The members 20 are spaced apart and adjacent each end are provided withclips 23 which support wires 24. Intermediate the wires 24 1pmvidespaced fabric strip supporting members 25 which are held in position bybrackets 26 at each end thereof.

The bottom I3 is provided with fabric supportting members 21 which aresimilar to the mem- .bers 25 and'which are'held in place by brackets 28.A fabric strip 29 has one end secured to one of the wires 24 whence itpasses downwardly over one of the lower supporting members thenceupwardly and back and forth until the other end is secured to the otherwire 24. i

A water receptacle 30 is arranged on the transverse members 20. Thiswater receptacle includes a. bottom 3|, ends 32, and sides 33 and isprovided with a central drain pipe 34. The bottom 3| of the receptacleis provided with apertures 35 which are disposed just above the wires 24and with other apertures 36 which are disposed above the horizontalportions 31 of the strip 29. The apertures 35 and 36 are of such a sizethat the water will flow therethrough onto the strips to maintain thesestrips in a moistened pass down these of the condition so that the waterwill strips into the receptacle IS in the bottom air conditioningapparatus.

In order to return the water from the lower receptacle to the upperreceptacle I provide pump means which is indicated generally at 40. Asshown this pump means includes a u-shaped bracket member 4| which ismounted on a supporting member 42 held on the front I! of the housing.The U-shaped member is provided with apertures in which a crank shaft 44is mounted. One end of this crank shaft receives an impeller fan 45while the crank is connected by a connecting rod 46 with a piston 31which is mounted on a cylinder 43. The cylinder 48 is connected to aT-fitting 49.

In one leg of the T I arrange a valve seat 5% which is adapted to beclosed bya ball valve andin the other leg I arrange a valve seat 52 Fig.5 the ball valve 5| is free from its seat 50 while the ball 53 is downagainst its seat 52. Thus water is drawn into the cylinder 48 and whenthe direction of the piston is reversed the action of the ball valvesalso is reversed so that the water is forced through the pipe 56 and isdischarged into the receptacle 30.

In the use of my invention the upper receptacle is filled with water anda fan (not shown) is placed in front of the housing. This fan directsair through the housing causing the air stream to impinge on the fabricstrips so that the air is conditioned. Also the air causes the impellerto rotate thus actuating the pump by lifting water from the lowercontainer into the upper container thence it passes through aperturesand 36 to the fabric strips and then into the lower container.

Fig. 9 shows a modification of my invention in which an air conditionerH) which is similar in all respects to the air conditioner previouslydescribed is employed in conjunction with an auxiliary air conditioner60. This auxiliary air conditioner 60 includes a receptacle frame 6|having sides 62, a bottom 63, legs 64, and receptacle supports 65 whichare disposed adjacent the top. The front and the back of the receptacle6| are closed with wire mesh 66 and are filled with excelsior or otherwater absorbing material 61.

On the supports 65 I arrangea container 68 which has a perforated bottom69 so that the Water may drain therefrom into the receptacle. Thecontainer 68 is provided with a fitting 10 while the receptacle 33' ofthe air conditioner Ill is provided with a fitting H and the fittings 10and H are connected by a rubber hose I2. An electric fan 13 is shown asmounted on a base 14 between the air conditioner Ill and the auxiliaryair conditioner 60. When the fan operates the impeller in the airconditioner ||l operates the pump therein to pump water into the tank33' whence it flows through the hose 12 to the container 68 and throughthe apertures in the bottom 69 onto the excelsior and as the fan drawsair through the excelsior the air is moistened before it passes throughthe humidifier lfl From the foregoing description it will be apparentthat I have provided a novel portable air conditioning apparatus whichcan be economically manufactured and which is highly eflicient in use.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. In a humidifier, a body including a lower receptacle and an upperreceptacle and means to support said receptacles in spaced relation,fabric supports on the upper surface of said lower receptacle and on thelower surface of said upper receptacle, a fabric strip connecting saidsupports, said upper receptacle having apertures therein disposed abovesaid fabric strips to direct fluid onto the fabric strips, said upperreceptacle including an overflow pipe, pump means on the lowerreceptacle, said pump means including an inlet connected to the lowerreceptacle and an outlet, a pipe connected to said outlet and includinga discharge disposed above the top of and laterally of said overflowpipe and means to drive said pump, said pump driving meansincluding animpeller, said impeller being disposed substantially midway between saidupper and lower receptacles.

2. In a humidifier, a body including a lower receptacle and an upperreceptacle, means connecting said receptacles, fabric supporting meansarranged in pairs on the top of the bottom receptacle and on the bottomof the top receptacle, an endless fabric strip extending over said pairsof supports and extending from the top receptacle to the bottomreceptacle whereby horizontally spaced vertical strips are provided andare connected by horizontal top and bottom portions, said upperreceptacle having apertures directly above the upper horizontallydisposed portions whereby fluid in said apertures will drop onto saidupper horizontal portions, a support on said lower receptacle, a shaftmounted on said body, an impeller mounted on one end of said shaft, theother end of said shaft being bent to form a crank, a pump, said pumpincluding an inlet disposed in the lower receptacle, said pump having anoutlet connected to the upper receptacle, said pump including anactuating member and means to connect said actuating member to saidcrank.

3. In an air conditioning apparatus, a body including a lower receptacleand an upper receptacle spaced apart, water absorbing material arrangedbetween said receptacles, an impeller disposed between said receptacles,a pump operated by said impeller and adapted to force water from thelower receptacle to the upper receptacle, an auxiliary air moistenerdisposed adjacent said body, said auxiliary moistener including a bodyhaving a water absorbing material therein, a container disposed abovethe water absorbing material and having bottom apertures therein andfluid conveying means to connect said upper receptacle to saidcontainer.

4. In a humidifier, a body including a bottom, top, and ends, a frontand back member at the bottom of the body and cooperating with the endsand bottom to form a receptacle, fabric supporting members extendingacross the top of the body, other fabric supporting members below thefirst members and extending across the receptacle, fabric stripsarranged over said supporting members and extending from the top membersto the lower members whereby horizontally spaced vertical fabric stripsare provided, a water supply member having apertures directly above theupper parts of the strips whereby fluid from said apertures will droponto said strips, a support on said lower receptacle, a shaft mounted onsaid support, a windmill impeller mounted on one end of said shaft, theother end of said shaft having a crank thereon, a pump, said pumpincluding an inlet disposed in the receptacle, said pump having anoutlet connected to said water supply member, said pump including anactuating member and means to connect said actuating member to saidcrank.

5. In a humidifier, a body including a bottom, top, and ends, a frontand back member at the bottom of the body to form a receptacle, fabricsupporting members extending across the top of the body, other fabricsupporting members extending across the bottom of the receptacle, acontinuous fabric strip arranged over said members and extending fromthe top members to the bottom members whereby horizontally spacedvertical fabric strips are provided and are connected by integral topand bottom portions, a water supply member having apertures directlyabove the upper portions whereby fluid from said apertures will droponto said upper horizontal portions, a support on said lower receptacle,a pump, a windmill impeller, means whereby the impeller drives the pump,said windmill impeller being disposed adjacent to the strips whereby anair stream blowing through and being moistened by the said stripsoperates said windmill to cause water to be distributed onto the strips,and an inlet for said pump disposed in the receptacle, said pump havingan outlet connected to said water supply member.

6. In a humidifier, a body including a bottom and a pair of ends, afront and back member at the bottom of the body and cooperating with theends and bottom to form a receptacle, a

pair of top members connected to said ends, up-

per fabric supporting members secured to said top members and extendingacross the top of the body, lower fabric supporting members spaced abovethe bottom and extending across the bottom of the receptacle, a fabricstrip arranged over said supports and extending from the top members tothe bottom members, said members being wide to provide horizontallyspaced vertical fabric strips which are connected by horizontal top andbottom portions, a water supply member having an aperture directly abovethe upper horizontally disposed portions whereby fluid from saidapertures will drop onto said upper horizontal portions, a pump on saidbody,

45 a windmill impeller, and means whereby the impeller drives the pump,said windmill impeller being disposed adjacent to the strips whereby anair stream blowing through and being moistened by the said stripsoperates said windmill to cause water to be distributed onto the strips,said pump including an inlet disposed in the receptacle, said pumphaving an outlet connected to said water supply member.. 4

7. In a humidifier, a body including a bottom I top and ends, a means atthe bottom of the body to form a receptacle, fabric supporting membersat the top of the body, other fabric supporting members below the firstmembers and extending across the receptacle, fabric strips arranged oversaid supporting members and extending from the top members to the lowermembers whereby spaced fabric strips are provided, a water supply memberhaving a discharge disposed to moisten said strips, a support on saidbody, a shaft mounted on said support, a windmill impeller mounted onsaid shaft, a pump fixed on the body, said pump including an inletdisposed in the receptacle, said pump having an outlet connected to saidwater supply member, said pump including an actuating member and meansto connect said actuating member to said shaft.

8. In an air conditioning apparatus, a frame comprising side members anda top and bottom, liquid absorbent material extending between the topand bottom of the frame, a liquid container in the bottom of the frame,a pump for delivering liquid from the container to the upper part of theframe whereby the upper portion of the liquid absorbent material ismoistened, and a wind driven impeller for operating said pump uponengagement of an air current therewith.

9. In an air conditioning apparatus, the combination with means forcreating an air current, of an upper liquid container, a lower liquidcontainer, a plurality of lengths of liquid absorbent material extendingbetween said containers, a pump for elevating liquid from the lowercontainer to the upper container, means whereby the absorbent materialis moistened by the liquid in the upper container, and means engaged bysaid air current for operating said pump.

10. In an air conditioning apparatus, a frame, a liquid container in thetop thereof, a liquid container in the bottom thereof, lengths of liquidabsorbent material extending between the top container and the bottomcontainer, means for transferring liquid from the bottom container tothe top container, said means comprising a pump and a bladed propellerrotating. to drive said pump upon engagement of an air currenttherewith,and means whereby the absorbent material is moistened by the liquid inthe upper container.

11. In an air conditioning apparatus, a frame comprising side membersand a top and bottom, liquid distributing material extending between thetop and bottom of theframe, a liquid container in the bottom of theframe, a pump for delivering liquid from the container to the upper partof the frame whereby the upper portion of the liquid distributingmaterial is moistened, and

a wind driven impeller for operating said pump upon engagement of an aircurrent therewith. WILLIAM H. FABRY.

